SALT LAKE CITY -- A prominent Utah defense attorney and former prosecutor says the suspects in the kidnapping and assault of a mother and four daughters—and the murder of a Utah Transit Authority worker—will likely be locked up for the long run, even if they never face murder charges.
Flint Harrison and his son DJ Harrison are locked up in the Sublette County Wyoming jail. They are facing extradition to Utah on charges they lured five women to a house in Centerville and then forced them into the basement at gunpoint.
Greg Skordas said the kidnapping charges in Centerville give police and prosecutors some breathing room as they figure out exactly what happened to UTA employee Kay Ricks.
Ricks was found dead in Wyoming after police followed reports of sightings of his work vehicle. The man vanished near the area where the suspects were last seen. His death is being investigated as a homicide.
"There's a very compelling case here in Utah for the aggravated kidnap charges," Skordas said. "There are multiple charges, they're very serious first-degree felony charges."
Skordas says the various sheriff's offices, police departments, and the FBI are likely working together well. He said there is not much reason for competition in the case.
If the Harrisons were to face murder charges, that case would be first in line for prosecution, wherever the murder took place. Otherwise, Centerville has the clear claim, and the two suspects would likely be held in the Davis County Jail awaiting a trial.
